The Roster Crunch – Rule 5 and the Royals

It is August 21st 2012, Wil Myers currently leads the minor leagues in home runs with 34 and has put up a combined batting average in the neighborhood of .313 with a .390 on base percentage. Â The future right fielder has dominated the minors while the Kansas City Royals current right fielder, Jeff Franceour, has struggled mightily. Â Why isn’t he up? Â The answer may be as simple as the Royals are feeling a roster crunch due to the Rule V draft and the fact that they’ve got to add quite a few players prior to the Winter meetings.

Players are eligible for selection in the Rule V draft who are not on their major league organization’s 40-man rosterÂ and:

â€“ were signed at age 19 or older and have been in the organization for four years;Â or

â€“ were signed at age 18 or younger and have been in the organization for five years.

Before we get to the roster breakdown lets take a look at the players that would be first year eligible for the Rule V draft in the Royals organization. Â I have taken the liberty to cross out the players I don’t believe Kansas City feels they must protect.

2008 and earlier International Signees
Robinson Yambati signed 2008
Angel Baez signed 2008Aroni Nina signed 2008 just now reached Rookie ballJulio Rodriguez signed by Tigers 2008Â – .552 OPS in AARey Navarro signes by Diamondbacks 2007 – Falu and Abreu’s emergence leave him as extraSugar Ray Marimon signed 2006 – I like Marimon but if teams were interested they likely would’ve popped him prior to last season.

I listed just a few of the most interesting international signees.

First Cut
Vin Mazzaro, Adam Moore, Clint Robinson, Jason Bourgeois, Derrick Robinson and David Lough are the names I could take off the list just in a first run through. The Royals currently have five players on the 60 day DL giving them 42 players on the current 40 man roster. Â These six eliminations mean I only have four roster spots open to get to 40.

GUARANTEED 40 man Spots
Jake Odorizzi
JC Sulbaran
Donnie Joseph
John Lamb
These are the four if I were general manager are no brain locks that I need to free up space for. Â Odorizzi is a no brainer and should be added this September and given a couple starts to see if he can set up a competition in the spring. Â In fact I understand Omaha is in a playoff push but I would call him up tomorrow and see what he can do at the major league level, AAA titles just aren’t that important. Â As for Joseph and Sulbaran the Royals just acquired these two and despite a difficult start should be given sometime in the org before you set one free.

With my current roster at 40 I would like to eliminate the following:

Noel Arguelles – despite giving him $7m in a contract he’s never pitched like KC had hoped. (39)

I believe there are a couple more fringe prospects that I don’t want to sacrifice just yet. Â For me at this moment there are two additional pitchers that I would not want to risk losing.

Robinson Yambati – Big armed Dominican signee has righted the ship and could be a quick mover in the bullpen or given a spot back in the rotation to see if that can be salvaged.Mike Montgomery – I want a complete fall and winter of working with Knapp before giving up on the former supplemental first round pick (41)

I need to eliminate one more spot but on top of that I would like to free up an extra roster spot for free agency, acquisition of a Rule 5 pick of my own or a possible 2 for 1 trade.

The final two to get the cut in this scenario are Francisley Bueno, Tommy Hottovy.

That finishes off my roster at 39 which is a number GMDM has liked when heading into the Winter Meetings.

Most likely Royals prospect to get chosen:

Chris Dwyer – A lefty with a major league curveball, Dwyer could survive in short stints in a similar fashion to Nate Adcock a couple of years ago while allowing a pitching coach to try to work some magic to refine his control.

Angel Baez – How often do you get a chance to grab a right-hander throwing 94-98 while flashing a change up from a low 3/4 arm slot? Â That screams reliever despite only reaching the A ball level a team like the Astros devoid of talent at both the major league and minor league level could give Baez a opportunity to survive out of their bullpen. Â If it doesn’t work the team could just return him to Kansas City at a small fee.

After all is said and done I’m at 39 looking for a spot to get Wil Myers on roster when I need. Â Sorry Nate Adcock you are the final cut to get Myers on the roster.

About the author

I grew up on the mean gravel roads of Iowa where I started my love for baseball from the age of 2. George Brett and the voice of Denny Matthews deepened my love even more for the Royals as my father and I spent summers listening to the team on our deck or in the car on our way to or from my little league and high school games. Sports was always the common bond that my father and I enjoyed and the Royals were in the center of that.
I currently live in La Vista with my wife, two sons, two dogs and a pair of gross cats where we are grinding through until we can move somewhere warm when we retire. I own Casino Cab Company and Bluffs Affordable Auto Repair in Council Bluffs trying to build my 1% empire. If you are in the area you can find me at Omaha Storm Chasers games on most nights or just follow me on twitter @ClintScoles.

PREGNANT ROLLERSKATE

Clint your roster # of 23 pitchers is actually 24….also Royals only have 4 players on the 60day DL Getz is on the 15 but could be moved to the 60…nonetheless doesn’t effect your post…..I’d cut Adcock and Verdugo before Mazzaro but that is a wash….I take it you are assuming Soria resigns here bc KC already said, reported by Bob Dutton, that KC will not exercise Soria’s option but hope to resign him on a incentive deal……How much will Paulino get in Arb????…..bc if it is to much I would cut him to and try to sign him as an incentive deal…..it would extend his 2more yrs of Arb instead using one on an injury……

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Clint Scoles

I wonder if the 2008 Rule V will turn out a Soria type talent, I’m not gonna mention Hamilton cause that’s a whole new world. The 08 draft at the time was one of the better drafts in sometime, I wonder if there is a player just in the wrong circumstances that will turn it around in a new org.

Chupa….the rule 5 is losing its luster every year (talked about often) and when a guy like a Gilbery De La Vara can be taken there is no reason Keck can’t….to the eye his arm is way more impressive than De La Vara’s was when he was taken in 09 by Houston.

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Clint Scoles

elchupanibre

I know the Rule 5 takes place at the Winter Meetings, I was refering to this quote: “Sorry Nate Adcock you are the final cut to get Myers on the roster.” There is no need to cut anyone to get Myers on the roster as he doesn’t need to be added until next season, when the DL is back in place.

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Clint Scoles

elchupanibre

Keck? Eh. I trust the glowing reports on his arm, but the only way he sniffs some other team’s roster is if the pitching coach barges into their front office claiming he can fix him. He’s 24 and in AA, has never had a K/9 rate over 9 throughout the low minors even though he’s a lefty reliever, and has some pretty ugly control issues: 5.2 BB per 9 career, and a career high of 6.2 this year in AA.

No way would I cut Adcock yet. Certainly not when both Abreu and Falu are taking up redundant space on the same 40 man roster. Won’t be any need to cut anyone for Myers anyway, somebody will end up on the 60 day DL out of ST. Duffy, Wood, and Paulino are all candidates, and that’s without the injuries that will undoubtedly hit somebody during camp.

cpass

This has been on my mind for some weeks, long before Moore pointed out that Myers doesn’t have to go on the 40-man until after 2013. I guarantee this is what is keeping him in Omaha, not his defense or his strikeouts, and I don’t think we’ll see him this year (esp. with Omaha in the playoffs).

I was going to ask about Yordano Ventura, since he was also a 2008 international signee, but I see you listed him on the final 40-man. I assume he has to be protected from the Rule 5 but you omitted him from the international signings list?

I agree with your “protect” list, with the possible exception of Yambati.

I think they decline Soria’s option, which frees up another spot. They’ll try to resign him, though, so once that happens he’ll need the spot back. But you may be able to buy some time for somebody else (Dwyer?) by having him off the roster for a few weeks, until after the Rule 5 is over.